Dual Enrollment, By The Numbers

Dual Enrollment, By The Numbers

The National Center for Education Statistics recently released results of a survey measuring dual enrollment and exam-based courses offered by high schools. Dual enrollment is defined as a course or program where high school students can earn both high school and college credit for the same course. Exam-based courses are Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate courses. All three are considered strategies for improving college readiness and success. Here’s a look at some selected findings from the survey report:

During the 2010-11 school year, 82 percent of high schools reported that students were enrolled in dual enrollment courses and 69 percent reported enrollments in advanced placement or international baccalaureate courses.

High schools reported about 2 million enrollments in dual credit courses and 3.5 million enrollments in AP or IB courses.

59 percent of high schools reported enrollments in both dual enrollment and AP or IB courses.

About three-quarters (76 percent) of all high schools reported that students took dual credit with and academic focus, while about half (49 percent) of all high schools said students took dual enrollment courses with a career or vocational-technical focus.

High schools reported 1.4 million enrollments for dual enrollment courses with an academic focus and about 601,500 enrollments for dual enrollment courses with a career or vocational/technical focus.

Among high schools with students enrolled in dual enrollment courses, 63 percent reported having established academic or other requirements that students must meet to enroll in dual enrollment courses.

Among high schools with students enrolled in dual credit courses, 14 percent reported that some students earned postsecondary certificates and 7 percent reported some students earned associates degrees by taking dual credit courses.

High schools with students enrolled in dual credit courses with an academic focus reported that the school or district paid the following expenses for students: full or partial tuition (43 percent); fees (33 percent) and books (44 percent). The numbers were nearly identical for high schools with students enrolled in dual credit courses with a career or technical/vocational focus.

Among high schools with students enrolled in a dual enrollment courses with an academic focus, 69 percent reported that both high school and college students were enrolled in the courses. For high schools with students enrolled in dual credit courses with an career or technical/vocational focus, 62 percent reported that both high school and college students were enrolled in the courses.